1. education
2. school

Summer 2015 Diary
Date
Event
Time
The Grange, M19 3ES
£199 (£180
PEN)
8.30-9.30
Martenscroft, M15 6PA
£25 (PEN: Free)
9.15-12
Martenscroft, M15 6PA
£40 (PEN: Free)
South/Wythenshawe District
9.15-12
Network
Lancasterian, M20 2XA
£40 (PEN: Free)
Fri 8 May Senior Leaders' Briefing
Fri 15 May
Cost
9.30-12
Wed 22 Apr Playclub 4 Trial a
Tue 12 May
Location
Central District Network
Martenscroft
Tue 19 May North District Network
9.15-12
Cheetham CE Pri, M8 9FR £40 (PEN: Free)
Thu 21 May Apps for schools
2-3.15
or 3.45-5
Windrush Centre, M16
7WD
£15 (PEN: Free)
Thu 21 May
KS2 Family Detective
Reading Project 1
9.30-12
Windrush Centre, M16
7WD
£180 (£160
PEN)
Thu 4 Jun
Moving Up Phase 2 Session 1
1-4
Windrush Centre, M16
7WD
£400 (£350
PEN)
Tue 9 Jun
Engaging parents in
numeracy 3a
9.30-12
Windrush Centre, M16
7WD
£160 (£145
PEN)
Coordinating Parental
Engagement a
9.30-12
Windrush Centre, M16
7WD
£140 (£120
PEN)
2-4.45
Windrush Centre, M16
7WD
£25 (PEN: Free)
Supporting Parents with
Benefits (North)
9.30-3
St Mary's Moston, M40
0DF
PEN: Free
Greater Manchester
Network
9.15-12
Windrush Centre, M16
7WD
£40 (PEN: Free)
1.30-3.45
Werneth School, SK6 3BX
£40 (PEN: Free)
9.30-11.30
William Hulme's School,
M16 8PR
£40 (£35 PEN)
9.15-12
Windrush Centre, M16
7WD
£40 (PEN: Free)
Simon Pridham: Using Apps 9.15-12
to Engage Parents
or 1-4
Britannia Country House,
M20 2WG
£70 (£60 PEN)
Thu 2 Jul
Parental Engagement Coordinators' Network
2.30-4.15
Windrush Centre, M16
7WD
£40 (PEN: Free)
Thu 2 Jul
Supporting Parents with
Benefits (South)
9.30-3
Lancasterian, M20 2XA
PEN: Free
Developing a School Policy
on Parental Engagement
9.30-12
Windrush Centre, M16
7WD
£70 (£60 PEN)
Tue 16 Jun
Thu 18 Jun Meet Volunteer Agencies
Tue 23 Jun
Wed 24 Jun
Wed 24 Jun Secondary Network
Thu 25 Jun Pupil Premium Network
Fri 26 Jun
Tue 30 Jun
Fri 3 Jul
Family Worker Support
Session
Contact us…
Summer 2015
email: [email protected] tel: 0161 860 5039
web: www.penetwork.co.uk twitter: @PENetworkUK
8
Summer 2015
For schools in Manchester and Greater Manchester
Breaking News: PEN wins funding!
Sutton Trust/Esmée Fairbairn:
Engaging Parents Effectively
PEN is one of just six organisations
nationally that has won an award from the
Sutton Trust and Esmée Fairbairn
Foundation’s new £1m Parental
Engagement Fund for April 2015 – Sept
2017.
The PEN project will focus on how
school readiness sessions,
workshops, home learning projects
and support from school staff can help
disadvantaged families support children’s
learning and impact on their achievement
for children aged 3 - 6. We will be
working with a few PEN member
schools to implement and evaluate
strategies from June onwards but we will
be extending the opportunity to get
involved to many more schools next year.
Interested? Email
[email protected]
More information on page 2 
Opportunities this term
Volunteer agencies: Opportunity to
meet agencies that provide volunteers
for schools. Thu 18 Jun Page 6
Using apps to improve
communication with parents:
Awards for All: Moving Up Project
PEN has also won an Awards for All
Grant to develop an exciting new project
on engaging and supporting parents at
the point of transition into High School.
More information on page 2 
Thanks to everyone who came to the
#PENConference15 and helped make it a success!
Videos now available on the PEN website.
Practical session run by Simon Pridham,
speaker at last term’s PEN Conference.
Tue 30 Jun Page 5
Supporting parents with changes in
benefits: Financial Inclusion Officer
Tues 23 Jun or Thu 2 Jul Page 6
National News
NAHT have produced a series of leaflets
aimed at parents about supporting
children’s learning They
can be downloaded
FREE:
www.naht.org.uk/
welcome/about-naht/naht
-charity-partner-20132014/
An All Party Parliamentary
Group Report has identified
the need to improve
children’s numeracy in the
Early Years and has
highlighted the importance of
involving parents in doing
numeracy activities as home.
www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/userfiles/
Documents/APPG_paper_-_EYs.pdf
Funding News
Continued from front...
supporting their child’s learning, to build
peer support networks, to express their
views and to access other support and
learning opportunities.
It will include using apps, QR codes and
other new technology to improve
communication.
We are currently working with four High
Schools: Copley Academy, Chorlton High
School, Burnage Academy and Bedford
High on Phase 1 of the project to develop
resources and strategies.
Sutton Trust/Esmée
Fairbairn: Engaging
Parents Effectively
Previous research by the
Sutton Trust found there
to be a 19 month gap in
school readiness between
the richest and the poorest children at
age 5. At the same time a new Early
Years Toolkit from the Education
Endowment Foundation has shown that
effective parental engagement can boost
learning for disadvantaged children.
The charities’ investment will support the
growth, increased effectiveness and
impact measurement of the initiatives, all
of which are designed to boost learning
and reduce the attainment gap for
disadvantaged 2 – 6 year olds.
There will be places available for up to
10 High Schools to join us at Phase 2
of the project, which involves six half
days of training to support schools in
implementing and evaluating the project.
Schools will get designed resources and
guidelines on strategies which they can
adapt for their school, training in using
new technology, support with evaluation,
Awards for All:
bespoke support and a report on the
of the project. June 4th p.m.,
Moving Up Project outcomes
th
June 17 p.m., Sept 14th pm, Oct 21st
This project will look at
p.m., Nov 24th p.m., and Feb 9th p.m.
how to effectively engage
Cost for Phase 2 schools is £400 (or £350
parents in secondary school through
for PEN Members)
meetings, home activities and other
strategies. It aims to help parents to
Interested?
communicate with and access information Email [email protected]
about school, to understand their role in
Summer 2015
2
Spring Term District Networks
Manchester Networks
Universal Credit & Budgeting courses
James, a tutor from MAES spoke at the
South/Wythenshawe network and Wayne
Selkridge, a financial inclusion officer
from City South Housing spoke at the
Central and North networks.
They had lots of useful tips for parents
including how to get payments still made
directly to the housing provider, how to
get debt written
off, availability of
advance
payments etc.
Following
requests we are
putting on two
free whole day
training
courses on
supporting
parents with
Sarah, a parent from Newall changes in
Green Primary School,
benefits this term
attended the MAES
(see page 6).
budgeting course Spend
and Save. “I saved £193 in Book now as
4 weeks by changing little there are only 12
things – now I have the
places available
money to get a passport.”
on each course.
Wayne is available to run a range of
FREE courses for parents on
understanding money and budgeting. His
phone numbers are 227 1202 or 0800
840 1444. MAES also run free budgeting
courses in Manchester.
School Readiness
Schools shared leaflets they had
produced or courses they had run on
school readiness.
MAES, Homestart and Surestart are all
involved in providing courses. These look
at a range of issues including language,
toileting, eating, learning through play,
separation and support for EAL parents.
PEN will be further developing this work
with the Esmée Fairbairn funding.
Handouts and
Other good practice
other resources
shared included
given out at the
o Digidads run
networks are
successfully by
available on the
MAES
members’ section
of the website
o Volunteer Fair for
parents at Old Hall
Drive including making CVs
o New safeguarding system CPOMS
which flags up actions for key people
o FAST run at Broadhurst and St
Malachy’s
o A Maths passport being used at Lily
Lane
Salford
Network
The network
meeting
looked
around
Barton Moss
school, including their special inclusion
room, and discussed ways to record and
measure work with parents. Fiddlers
Lane school shared lots of practical ideas
that they have developed to engage dads
and mums, and links with literacy.
Tameside Network
The Tameside Network
meeting held on 6th Feb
included input from
CAMHS. Andrea Waldron
from Tameside Adult
Education also spoke
about the range of family
learning courses they run
(ring 0161 343 8889 for
further details)
“Fab –
really
informative.
Lots to take
back.”
Claire East
“So much
information
and great
things to
try!” Tom
Rudd
This term we will be running a
Greater Manchester network
meeting rather than separate
Tameside & Salford meetings
7
FREE to PEN Members (cont)
Senior Leaders’ Briefing (Pri & Special)
£40 (FREE to PEN Members)
This will include looking at school readiness, new PSHE guidelines, Ofsted, Early
Help, use of apps, and other current issues and developments.
Fri 8 May, 8.30-9.30 at Martenscroft, M15 6PA
Please book by 30 Apr
Meet Volunteer Agencies
£25 (FREE to PEN Members)
An opportunity to meet volunteer agencies who can help you recruit a range of
volunteers with different experience and skills for your school.
Thu 18 Jun 2-4.45 at the Windrush Centre, M16 7WD Please book by 8 Jun
Supporting Parents with Changes in Benefits
(FREE to PEN Members)
Wayne Selkridge on liability for debt, priority debt, budgeting, what
parents are entitled to, filling in forms, information about universal
credit, benefit cap and bedroom tax. Bring a packed lunch.
Tues 23 Jun 9.30-3.00 at St Mary’s Moston, M40 0DF OR
Thu 2 Jul 9.30-3.00 at Lancasterian School, M20 2XA
Please book by 13 Jun
Secondary Network
£40 (FREE to PEN Members)
The focus will be on improving communication to parents including how schools
report pupil progress and wider outcomes to parents. Please bring examples of how
your school reports to parents so practice can be shared.
Facilitator: Jill Tordoff
Wed 24 Jun, 1.30-3.45 at Werneth School, SK6 3BX Please book by 14 Jun
Family Worker Support Session for all staff working with vulnerable families
£40 (FREE to PEN Members)
Updates and an opportunity to share successes and challenges of the role.
o Input on Transition for vulnerable families: a best practice model
Facilitator: Janet Davies
Fri 26 Jun 9.15 – 12 at the Windrush Centre, M16 7WD Please book by 16 Jun
o
NEW Parental Engagement Co-ordinators’ Network (Pri & Special)
£40 (FREE to PEN Members)
This NEW network meeting for staff who coordinate parental engagement across
the school will look at class meetings at the start of the year and planning parental
engagement in learning for the next academic year.
Thu 2 Jul 2.30 – 4.15 at the Windrush Centre, M16 7WD Please book by 16 Jun
Summer 2015
6
PEN News
Spring 2015 Conference
Over 100 people attended the
conference. Our particular thanks to
PEN members who generously shared
some of the excellent practice they have
developed:
Gina Marriott from St Mary’s Moston
on how they engaged the whole school
on supporting
vulnerable families;
Jane Coogan from
Stanley Grove on
their inspiring Big
Book Bash; Tricia
Hodge from St
Margarets on their
Parents’ Council; Jo
Mannion from Parrs
Wood on running
courses for parents of
The parade in Longsight
teenagers; Sally
as part of Stanley
Grove’s Big Book Bash
Duffy from
Collyhurst on
supporting vulnerable families.
Jerry Griffiths, our marketing intern, and
Cameron Cairnduff of Little Apple TV
produced some short videos of the
conference. To get a flavour of the
conference and hear some opinions
about it you can watch here:
bit.ly/1FgAquC
We have also been developing our use
of social media – please like/follow our
pages on Facebook: ParentalEngagement-Network and Twitter:
@PENetworkUK
Playclub 4
We are currently
developing Playclub 4:
Exciting new activities
to raise achievement in literacy for
phase 5 letters & sounds.
16 Greater Manchester schools will be
trialling the project in the Summer
term.
QR Codes
New Playclub 1 Teachers’
Notes now also have QR
codes on the activity cards which take
parents straight to videos
of the activities.
Outstanding Practice at Lisburne
Special School
Many thanks to Lisburne who ran an
inspiring session sharing their
‘Outstanding’ parental engagement.
Joanna Frank from Oakwood Avenue
Primary said: “Fantastic ! Felt very
welcome, loved looking around the
school. Taking back lots of ideas.
Whole school working together was so
evident.”
PEN Membership 2015-16: £299
34 schools have already joined PEN for 2015-6. It’s only £299 for a whole year of
benefits for the whole school, including network meetings, senior leaders
briefings, NEW meetings for volunteer co-ordinators and parental engagement
co-ordinators, information on the website, free training, telephone support,
and discounted training. See www.penetwork.co.uk/pen-members
To see what some of the PSAs/Family Support Workers think about membership
see our video: http://youtu.be/I83f1VCYfrY
3
Courses (Available to All Schools)
LL Playclub 4—Trial &
FU Training
KS2 Family Detective Reading
Project
£180 for 1 or 2 people to attend the
training session and a pack with all
the activities, supporting resources,
teacher’s notes and CD ROM.
Introduction to the resources and
training on how to run the project in
school. Year 3, 4 or 5 children and their
families work together on an exciting
challenge to
solve a mystery,
developing their
comprehension,
inference and
questioning skills.
Thu 21 May,
9.30 – 12 at the
KS2 Family Detective
Windrush
Meeting at Cheetham
Centre, M16
CofE Academy
7WD
£199 (£180 PEN Members)
Includes full set of resources
Playclub 4 will include fun activities to
raise achievement in literacy— phase
5 letters and sounds.
Schools will trial the new activities and
commit to evaluating
them fully and attending
an evaluation session in
July.
Trainers: Ruth Levy
EY2P & Emma
Beresford.
Wed 22 Apr & Wed 1
Jul, 9.30-12 at the
Grange School, M19 3ES
Engaging Parents in Numeracy
Coordinating Parental
Engagement
£160 (£145 PEN Members)
Includes 2 sessions & resources
Raise achievement in numeracy by
engaging parents in the EYFS and KS1.
This course will cover a range of
practical strategies
including maths weeks,
home learning projects,
numbers through books,
number trails and more.
The cost includes
resources to use with
Numicon and new F.U.N
activities.
Tues 9 Jun & another date tba, 9.30-12
at the Windrush Centre, M16 7WD
Closing date to book on: 31 May
£140 (£120 PEN Members)
This 2-session course will give a
coordinator tools and support to help
review current practice, identify
priorities and develop and implement an
action plan. It will cover all aspects of
parental engagement including
communication, consultation, engaging
parents in learning, parent volunteers
and additional support. It is suitable for
anyone new to this role, as well as more
experienced staff.
Tue 16 Jun & another date tba, 9.30-12
at the Windrush Centre, M16 7WD
Closing date to book on: 6 Jun
To book onto any of the PEN courses or sessions listed in this update, please email
[email protected] (unless another contact is given). PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU BOOK ON AT
LEAST 10 DAYS BEFORE COURSE IS DUE TO RUN.
If schools cancel more than 2 weeks before the training, no charge will be incurred. With 1 – 2
weeks' notice schools will have to pay 50%. Less than 1 week's notice and the full fees are due.
Substitutions are welcome at any time.
Summer 2015
4
Pupil Premium Network
£40 (£35 PEN Members)
This meeting will
o share the learning from Divine Mercy
Primary School on the programme
“Physical Me, Social Me, Emotional Me”;
o consider ways to measure the impact of
interventions which support wider skills
e.g. emotional wellbeing, resilience,
social skills. This will include Corrie
Primary School sharing their use of
the PASS survey.
Thu 25 Jun 9.30-11.30 at William
Hulme's Grammar School, M16 8PR
Closing date to book on: 15 Jun
Developing a School Policy on
Parental Engagement
£70 (£60 PEN Members)
An opportunity to look at examples of
policies and the process of developing one
with staff and parents.
Fri 3 Jul 9.30—12.00 at the Windrush
Centre, M16 7WD
Closing date to book on: 24 Jun
Using apps to improve
communication with parents
£70 (£60 PEN Members)
A very practical session led by
Simon Pridham which will
o raise awareness of how
technology can improve links with
parents
o talk participants through a step-bystep guide to using a number of
free apps
o help practitioners produce
some examples of practical
resources using new technology.
EARLY BOOKING REQUIRED!
Tues 30 Jun 9.15-12 OR
1-4 at the Britannia Country House
Hotel, M20 2WG
Closing date: June 8th
Opportunity to meet companies
that provide apps for schools
£15 (FREE to PEN Members)
Thu 21 May 2-3.15 OR 3.45-5 at the
Windrush Centre, M16 7WD
FREE to PEN Members
Manchester District Network Meetings
All meetings take place from 9.15-12.
o Early Help in Manchester
o A practical step-by-step session
on how to use apps to improve
communication with parents e.g.
to develop a leaflet about the PSA
role linked to a video clip
o Other updates & opportunities
Central
£40 (FREE to PEN Members)
12 May Martenscroft Nursery
South/
15 May Lancasterian School
Wythenshawe
North
19 May Cheetham CE Pri
Greater Manchester Network Meeting (Pri & Special; all other Authorities)
£40 (FREE to PEN Members)
Looking at class meetings and engagement of parents in September;
Supporting parents with money issues; Planning work over the year.
Wed 24 June 9.15-12 at the Windrush Centre, M16 7WD
5